Shoe



Jan. 5 I 1926.

M. F. GALLAGHER SHOE Filed August 15. 1922 f a I 10 I l! 15 J4 Isa #692,702".

MAW/N Fl GALLAGHER Patented Jan. 5, 1926.

UNITED STATES MARTIN I. GALLAGHER, 01 SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

SHOE.

Application filed August 15, 1822. Serial No. 581,925.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MARTIN F. GALLA- omen, a citizen of the United States, residin at the city and county of San Francisco, an

5 State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Shoes, of which the following is a specification.

,This invention relates to shoes, the object being to produce a shoe which will restore fiat arches and relieve the pain usually present in such cases.

Experience shows that inside arch supports act merely to impose a painful pressure upon the arch of the foot and tend to crush down that part of the shoe between the heel and ball, so that in a short time the arch of the foot is without adequate support. Such inside arch sup orts are painful to the wearer and frequent y than good.

In the present invention I provide an out- I side support for the arch in the form of a riser or strip fastened to the bottom'of the shank of the shoe and adapted to contact with the ground. The shank of the shoe is thus prevented from flattening and ade uate and lasting support is given to the arc of the foot.

Ordinaril a flat arch causes tenderness 80 of the heel bones, and in combination with the present t pe of arch support I provide an inside cushion for the heel to relieve the painpn the heel bone. I also prefer to make the arched portion of the shoe more or less ll flexible -b doing away with the metal or other sti ener commonly used in the shank of the shoe. By using a flexible portion at the shank of the shoe the action of the outside support will not be restrained and 40 the pressure applied by the outside support when weight is disposed thereon will tend to restore the bones of the arch and give exercise and strength to the muscles of the arch.

i is exemplified in the following description and illustrated in the accompanying drawin s, in which- 1g. 1 shows a side elevatlon of a shoe 59 embodying my invention.

do more harm- One form which my invention may assumev Fig. 2 shows a plan view of the bottom thereof.

The shoe shown in the'drawing has a flexible shank portion 10, the bottom of which is provided with a lift or support 11 disposed about midway of the shank and adapted to contact with the ground when the shank is slightly depressed. The heel of the shoe has a leather portion 12 with a cushion 13 of rubber or the like inserted therein and disposed against the heel of the wearer. For greater comfort I may provide an inner cushion layer 14 extending throughout the sole of the shoe.

The action of the shoe is substantially as follows: The flexible shank portion is supported by the external lift 11, which pro vents crushing or flattening of the same when worn by a person with broken or flat arches. There will be a certain pressure ap lied to the arch of the foot when weight is resting on the lift 11 and this will tend to restore the bones of the arch to proper position and exercise the muscles in a way to correct permanently the flattened arch.

Since flatarches usually cause tenderness of the heel bone, the cushion 13 in the heel of the shoe will afford relief from pain, as will also the inner cushion layer 14 in the so e.

Various changes in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts herein shown and described may be employed without departing from the spirit of my invention as disclosed in the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and'desire to secure by Letters Patent is A shoe having a flexible shank portion, a comparatively narrow support member arranged transversel across the bottom of said shank ortion an fixed thereto at substantiall t e center thereof, said support member eing of a thickness whereby it will remain out of contact with the ground except when said shankportion is depressed.

- MARTIN F. GALLAGHER. 

